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Oath vs Censorship: Jefferson on the Duty to Stop Unconstitutional Laws
Description
An act against the Constitution is no law at all – it’s void. This principle, rooted in the American Revolution and the debates over the Constitution’s ratification, was central to President Thomas Jefferson’s response to the Sedition Act of 1798. In this episode, we explore how Jefferson’s adherence to his oath to the Constitution led him to treat this attack on freedom of speech as null and void – regardless of whether Congress, the courts, or anyone else agreed.
Path to Liberty: January 22, 2025
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Thomas Jefferson – Letter to Abigail Adams (22 July 1804)
James Otis – Arguments against the Writs of Assistance (1761)
John Adams – Argument before Governor Bernard and the Council in Favor of Opening the Courts
Thomas Jefferson – Summary View (1774)
Boldin – Thomas Jefferson’s Solution from the Revolution
Episode – Null and Void: Thomas Jefferson’s 1774 Radical Declaration
Oliver Ellsworth – Connecticut Ratifying Convention (7 Jan 1788)